This disclosure relates to polyurethanes, articles comprising the same and to methods of manufacture thereof. In particular, this disclosure relates to a fluorinated non-isocyanate urethane dimethacrylate resin.
Polyurethane is a polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. While most polyurethanes are thermosetting polymers that do not melt when heated, thermoplastic polyurethanes are also available. Polyurethane polymers are traditionally and most commonly formed by reacting a di- or polyisocyanate with a polyol. Both the isocyanates and polyols used to make polyurethanes contain on average two or more functional groups per molecule. Some noteworthy recent efforts have been dedicated to minimizing the use of isocyanates to synthesize polyurethanes, because the isocyanates raise severe toxicity issues. Non-isocyanate based polyurethanes (NIPUs) have recently been developed as a new class of polyurethane polymers to mitigate health and environmental concerns.
To overcome these problems, it is desirable to manufacture polyurethanes via a route that does not involve the use of isocyanates. In addition, it is desirable to functionalize these polyurethanes with functional groups that contain other atoms (e.g., fluorine, silicon, phosphorus, and the like) so as to provide the polyurethane with a range of properties that render the resulting material capable of being used in a variety of applications.